Lt. Gov. Brad Little returned to Idaho from a friendship mission to the Basque Country in Europe, and agreed to several joint initiatives with the Basque Lehendakari, or president, Patxi López.
“We have 100 years or more of history with the Basque people as a fundamental part of the Idaho fabric,” Little said in a news release. “Today, we want to build upon the past and present to foster a dynamic future together.”
Little and López agreed to create a Basque economic development office in Boise and start a Joint Idaho/Basque Renewable Energy Task Force that will meet twice a year to share information. The two also agreed to look into new ideas for sharing culture and education between Idaho and the Basque country.
“This trip really reaffirmed for me how much we have in common,” said Little, whose family ranch employed Basque workers for close to 90 years.
Little’s trip was not funded by taxpayer dollars. Jennifer O’Kief in the lieutenant governor’s office said Little and several businesses that wanted him to visit the region paid for the trip. Developer Mark Rivers and attorney Ed Miller, both of whom work in Boise, joined Little on the trip.
Read Little’s news release on the his trip below.
LITTLE COMPLETES FRIENDSHIP MISSION TO BASQUE COUNTRY
BILBAO, EUSKADI (Basque Country, Spain) – Lieutenant Governor Brad Little said his trip overseas marks an important step forward for Idaho’s position in the global economy.
The four-day trip will “pave the way for Idaho businesses and expanded career opportunities for Idahoans in accordance with Governor Otter’s Project 60 initiative to grow Idaho’s economy,” Little said.
“We have 100 years or more of history with the Basque people as a fundamental part of the Idaho fabric. Today, we want to build upon the past and present to foster a dynamic future together,” said Little, whose family ranch employed dedicated Basque workers for nearly 90 years. “In the global economy, we need to foster strong relationships abroad, to access markets and grow our hometown businesses. This link with the Basques is a natural one, and we found a very receptive audience this week.”
In a meeting on Thursday with the Basque Lehendakari (President) Patxi Lopez, the Basques pledged to work together with our state on a number of joint initiatives, including:
- The creation of a Basque economic development office in Boise. The office would provide resources and services for Idaho and Basque companies to ease collaboration on research, sales and collaborative programs.
- The launch of a Joint Idaho/Basque Renewable Energy Task Force. The task force would include representatives from Idaho and the Basque Country in the energy industry, research development, and academic areas. The goal of the group would be to meet twice annually — once in Idaho and once in Bilbao — to share information on trends, opportunities and new developments.
- Agreement to explore additional initiatives together in culture and education. Idaho and the Basque region will accelerate a number of ideas to support exchanges of art, students and ideas.
“This trip really reaffirmed for me how much we have in common,” said Little, whose two sons attended semesters abroad in Bilbao as college students. “From our economic goals to our vision for arts, culture and education, we can look forward to collaborating and working together in a variety of exciting ways.”
“We’ll get back home, roll up our sleeves and get to work,” Little said. The Lieutenant Governor was accompanied on the trip by Idaho business leaders Mark Rivers and Ed Miller.
